Sudan to skip IGAD meeting, FM spokesman

By: Sudan Tribune

The Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, will not participate in the upcoming meeting called by IGAD next week in Ethiopia, according to the Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman.

A four-way summit is scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa next Monday, bringing together the heads of state and government members of the quartet mediation on the Sudanese crisis, namely Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan.

While al-Burhan and the leader of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti,” were invited to the summit, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed that al-Burhan will not be attending.

The Sudanese diplomat reiterated Sudan’s rejection of Kenya’s chairmanship of the Crisis Resolution Committee, stating that Sudan believes President William Ruto’s close ties with RSF leaders and his associated economic interests make him an impartial party.

“It is natural for Burhan to decline the invitation to the summit. Sudan is not interested in any proposal from IGAD under Kenya’s chairmanship of the committee to address the crisis,” the spokesman emphasized.

On July 6, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sought in vain to convince Burhan to change his mind about the Kenyan chairmanship of the quartet.

The Rapid Support Forces confirmed they have also received an invitation from IGAD for the meeting, but according to a senior official, the invitation did not include the agenda.

“The RSF has requested more details about the meeting from IGAD,” an RSF senior official told Sudan Tribune on Friday.

In accordance with the resolutions of the IGAD heads of state and government summit, the foreign affairs ministers of the Quartet group on June 19 decided to prioritize a face-to-face meeting to address key issues such as the cessation of hostilities and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Furthermore, the ministers agreed to convene an all-inclusive political process to achieve sustainable peace, a peaceful transition to democracy, and civilian rule. The Republic of Kenya is expected to host this process in mid-July or the first week of August 2023.

(ST)